Kildavnet Castle, 15th-century Irish Rectangular Tower House Editorial Photo

The castle is said to have been built by the O’Malley Clan in about 1429. However it is best known as the home of its most famous tenant, the legendary pirate queen Granuaille Grace O’Malley.nnKildavnet Castle is a couple of hundred metres along the shore from the ancient church for which it is named. It is a fine example of a 15th-century Irish rectangular tower house. This three-storey building stands about 12m 40ft tall and has buttress fortifications at the top. There is no stairway from the ground or first floor levels and access to the upper storeys is not possible. It is vaulted above the first floor, and a hole at the corner of this vault is the only access to the higher levels.nnThe Tower stands at a strategically important spot, guarding the waters of Achill Sound which links Clew Bay to the south with Blacksod Bay to the north. During the time of Granuaille it was one of several such strongholds that she controlled, including the Tower House on Clare Island and Rockfleet Castle.